Women’s U19 development weekends is now open for registration
Floorball New Zealand is delivering a series of Women’s U19 development weekends as part of the 2026/27 national team pathway for youth.
These weekends are designed to support player development and identify athletes for selection into the next Women’s U19 squad.
Who are these weekends for?
These development weekends are open to ALL players, not just those intending to trial.
They are appropriate for players who:
want to develop their floorball skills;
enjoy playing floorball; or
want to engage with other youth playing floorball in New Zealand.
Players may attend:
the full weekend;
a single day; or
or multiple weekends.
There is no requirement to trial in order to participate.
Clarification of misinformation
There has been some confusion and misinformation circulating. The following clarifies the position of Floorball New Zealand:
These development weekends are not solely trials.
Players may attend without trialling for the national team.
Trialling is optional. There is no requirement to trial in order to participate in these development weekends.
Players who are not trialling may attend any or all three development weekends.
No decision has been made on the size of the squad for the Women’s U19 World Floorball Championships 2027 AOFC Qualification.
2026/27 squad selection
Selection is for a new 2026/27 Women’s U19 national floorball team.
Players from the 2025/2026 Women’s U19 national squad are not automatically selected.
Participation in previous campaigns, including the recent AOFC Qualification in Mandurah 2026, does not guarantee selection.
All players will be assessed through the formal selection process.
Players who are based outside of New Zealand but meet eligibility requirements may still trial for the team. Please contact Anna Kibblewhite to find out how you can trial for the national team if you can’t be attend any of these weekends.
Trials will be conducted during Weekend #3 of the development weekends.
Players who wish to trial:
must clearly communicate their intention to the Women’s U19 Team Manager, Catherine Lee, prior to Weekend #3.
Players who do not formally indicate their intention to trial will not be considered for selection.
Eligibility
These development weekends are open to players who are born between January 2008 and April 2012.
To be considered for the national team selection, players must meet the above age eligibility and one of the following:
Have a parent or grandparent born in New Zealand, or
Have resided in New Zealand for a minimum of 5 years
A New Zealand passport is not required.
Schedule for development weekends
WEEKEND #1
Saturday 18 April
9AM – 3PM
Whirinaki Hall, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt
Sunday 19 April
9AM – 3PM
Whirinaki Hall, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt
WEEKEND #2
Saturday 6 June:
9AM – 3PM
Whirinaki Hall, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt
Sunday 7 June
9.00AM – 12.00PM & 1.00PM – 3.00PM
Ākau Tangi Sports Centre, Wellington
WEEKEND #3
Saturday 4 July
9AM – 3PM
Whirinaki Hall, Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt
Sunday 5 July
9.00AM – 12.00PM & 1.00PM – 3.00PM
Ākau Tangi Sports Centre, Wellington
Costs and payment
Licensed players: $55 per weekend (or $30 per any single day)
Unlicensed players: $80 per weekend (or $45 per any single day)
Payment must be made in full prior to attendance.
Account: 38-9018-0178844-00
Reference: NZ U19 Women
Particulars: Player’s initial and full spelling of their surname
Players must confirm their licensing status with their club. If you do not belong to a club or does not have a Floorball New Zealand membership, please pay the unlicensed players’ fee.
Floorball New Zealand reserves the right to decline participation where payment has not been received
Travel support for outside of Greater Wellington
Players travelling from outside the Greater Wellington Region may apply for partial cost support.
Requests should be sent to national-teams@floorball.org.nz as early as possible.
Coaching and management
We welcome back Head Coach Jane Bertschinger and Team Manager Catherine Lee for their second Women’s U19 campaign.
They will lead the Women’s U19 national team through the 2026/27 cycle, including the Women’s U19 World Floorball Championships 2027 AOFC Qualification.
The venue for the qualification tournament has not yet been confirmed. New Zealand will compete for one of three qualification spots for the Women’s U19 World Floorball Championships 2027, to be held in Switzerland in May 2027.
Programme focus
The weekends will include:
Technical skill development
Tactical understanding
Game-based scenarios
Team environment expectations
